Posted on 01/13/2018 9:46:22 AM PST by SamAdams76
Most likely people under age 40 have no idea who John Denver was. He had a string of pop hits. Then he died in a airplane crash in some sort of experimental plane? He might have been a goofy granola-eating liberal but he did write some pretty good songs in the "folk-rock" style back in the 1970s.
His first big success was writing a song called "Leaving On A Jet Plane" which was a big hit for Peter, Paul & Mary, another group of granola eating liberals.
His real life name was Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.
Yikes, that's a mouthful.
I remember him in a movie with George Burns. I think it was called "Oh God" or something like that. Back in the late 1970s. Not a bad film.
It's just weird that he dropped off the face of the earth. Nobody remembers him.
"Annie's Song" is my favorite song from him. I remember hearing that song on the radio the day that Richard Nixon resigned the presidency. I will always associate that song with Richard Nixon resigning.
Here’s the whole story. The bottom line is he used poor judgement.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Denver#Death
His wife Annie (of Annie’s Song) was from Minnesota and they were living in a Minneapolis suburb when he first hit the big time. He’s remembered from those days as a jerk. Seems to have mellowed as he got older.
My former boss was great pals with John’s widow. Visited her in Aspen every President’s Day weekend.
Thanks. There’s also a weird Japanese angle on this song. It was featured in a great Japanimation movie “Whispers of the Heart” and there’s also this:
https://youtu.be/-0JJtgMM74Q
I recently read something about him, written by the friend who played a part in his death through no fault of his own. Apparently, Denver was out flying his plane one day over California and decided on a whim to buzz the friend’s home further out on the coast, completely forgetting to check his fuel level. He crashed the plane on his return flight when he ran out of fuel. How this was known to the friend who wrote about the incident escapes me now. This friend was a conservative and I was a little surprised to learn they were friends. Who the friend was also escapes me.
Just checked...it was Clint Eastwood’s house he buzzed.
I have wondered how many thousands of people that “Rocky Mountain High” added to the permanent population of Colorado.
Growing up in Iowa in the 70’s; it seemed like Colorado was everyone’s favorite place to go.
It is mine now.
Back then the guys who went out would bring back some of that exotic nectar called Coors!
You couldn’t get it in many places then; it was pretty special to see it.
His Dad flew a B-58 and held several world speed records in them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-58_Hustler
The night before he crashed, a bunch of friends and I were singing Karaoke. I did Rocky Mountain High. I won’t sing Karaoke again.
The orchestration really adds to that song’s impact. Melodically, it’s pretty basic, but who writes in 3/4 time these days? It brilliantly captures the motion of the ocean.
Yep, now that’s busy....
Damn. I always thought to myself, don’t ever fly or fly in anything dubbed experimental.
Yeah, just read that it was a switch out of reach or at least when you are panicking. I thought he had great songs. He seemed nice and didn’t get into a whole lot of trouble at least it wasn’t in the papers anyways.
Now, THAT’S a great story.
There is a fantastic exhibit of his life works in the Denver International Airport....very extensive.
There is a plaque on the beach in Pacific Grove memorializing his death.
Guy deserves a statue.......
“Oh God” was one of the few movies that I would watch again.
It’s a generic name for a non powered aircraft as was assumed to be the aircraft he was flying when the crash occurred in a previous post. I have piloted these and when you can’t find an updraft, it is a very short flight.
He became big when I was in Junior High School. I was a fan.
Just yesterday, SiriusXM 70s reran an old American Top 40 from back January 1973. Among the Top 40 that week was “Rocky Mountain High.” I was reminded what an excellent song that is.
He was a likable, talented fellow who, like all of us, had some issues. He later got into some New Agey stuff, but he seemed a sincere, down to earth guy.
Neat memory!
Poor choice of words dude........
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